{"id":286467,"date":"2025-07-23T23:47:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T23:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/286467\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T23:47:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T23:47:11","slug":"red-bull-racing-new-era-starts-on-ticking-timebomb-max-verstappen-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/286467\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Bull Racing new era starts on ticking timebomb, Max Verstappen contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Bull Racing\u2019s new era starts this weekend.<\/p>\n

For the first time in the team\u2019s history, Christian Horner will not preside as team principal from the pit wall.<\/p>\n

The Englishman, steward of all 14 of the team\u2019s championship, was sacked two weeks ago. In his place steps Laurent Mekies, the former Racing Bulls boss.<\/p>\n

Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship\u2122 LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Mekies is a different character with a wildly different background. An engineer by trade, Red Bull Racing will seek a new tack with his hand on the tiller.<\/p>\n

And it certainly needs a new direction.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Red Bull Racing remains among F1\u2019s frontrunning group, but it\u2019s an uninspiring fourth among them and has bleak prospects for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

Key staff have left. Max Verstappen is contemplating leaving. There are rumours of new rifts tearing through the factory.<\/p>\n

Rare are revolutions neat and tidy, but in one of Red Bull Racing\u2019s worst seasons on record, things could yet get worse before they get better.<\/p>\n

PIT TALK PODCAST: What effect will Christian Horner\u2019s sacking have on the F1 silly season? Listen to Pit Talk below.<\/b><\/p>\n

HOW BAD IS THIS SEASON?<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite Verstappen\u2019s victories in Japan and Emilia-Romagna, the 2025 season is on track to be among the very worst of Red Bull Racing\u2019s race-winning era dating back to 2009.<\/p>\n

After 12 rounds the team is fourth in the standings with just 172 points. It\u2019s not just being belted by McLaren but being soundly beaten by the wobbly Ferrari and inconsistent Mercedes teams.<\/p>\n

Putting its score to date in the context of its history is instructive.<\/p>\n

Red Bull Racing\u2019s worst championship position after 12 rounds<\/b><\/p>\n

2015<\/b>: 4th (113 points, 0 wins)<\/p>\n

2025<\/b>: 4th (172 points, 2 wins)<\/p>\n

2017<\/b>: 3rd (199 points, 1 win)<\/p>\n

2018<\/b>: 3rd (223 points, 3 wins)<\/p>\n

2019<\/b>: 3rd (244 points, 2 wins)<\/p>\n

2020<\/b>: 2nd (226 points, 1 win)<\/p>\n

2014<\/b>: 2nd (254 points, 3 wins)<\/p>\n

2009<\/b>: 2nd (104.5 points, 3 wins)*<\/p>\n

2016<\/b>: 2nd (256 points, 1 win)<\/p>\n

2021<\/b>: 2nd (303.5 points, 7 wins)<\/p>\n

2012<\/b>: 1st (272 points, 3 wins)<\/p>\n

2010<\/b>: 1st (312 points, 6 wins)<\/p>\n

2013<\/b>: 1st (352 points, 6 wins)<\/p>\n

2024<\/b>: 1st (373 points, 7 wins)<\/p>\n

2022<\/b>: 1st (396 points, 8 wins)<\/p>\n

2011<\/b>: 1st (426 points, 7 wins)<\/p>\n

2023<\/b>: 1st (503 points, 12 wins)<\/p>\n

*2009 scored using previous points schedule. Tally would have been 255 points using today\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n

Red Bull sack Horner as team pricipal | 00:50<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s assume Red Bull Racing doubles its score by the end of the year, moving from 172 points to 344 points.<\/p>\n

It would still be the second-worst season on record during this period.<\/p>\n

The only worse year would have been 2015, when RBR limped through the year with just three podiums, but dire engine unreliability was key that result. The team racked up four failures to finish, one failure to start and six non-scoring classifications.<\/p>\n

Engine reliability and performance were so bad that year that Red Bull Racing attempted to cancel its supply agreement with Renault, which it eventually managed three years later with a switch to Honda.<\/p>\n

The team returned fewer points in 2020, but that year ran to only 17 rounds due to the pandemic, and if you pro rata the score, 2025 is on track to be comfortably worse.<\/p>\n

There are important distinctions to make between this year and those only marginally better in the 12-round ranking above.<\/p>\n

Red Bull Racing scored 27 more points by this stage in the season in 2017, but it had also recorded nine DNFs between its two cars. Things were marginally better in the next season on the list, 2018, with seven retirements. Renault\u2019s power units played a significant role in both.<\/p>\n

So far this year the team has suffered only three failures to finish, all of which were due to collision damage.<\/p>\n

In other words, there\u2019s no way to escape the poor tidings of 2025.<\/p>\n

The above puts the season and Horner\u2019s dismissal into a new light.<\/p>\n

Whereas in 2015 he was still basking in the glow of four successive double championships and Renault\u2019s unreliable motor was an obvious culprit for the sudden downturn, no such excuses exist this year.<\/p>\n

The team was already in decline last year, with only Verstappen\u2019s driving powering him to the title in a car that by the end of the season was behind both Ferrari and McLaren.<\/p>\n

And its power unit is the same one that has powered Verstappen to all four of his drivers championships and the team\u2019s last two constructors crowns \u2014 and the rules have been stable since 2021.<\/p>\n

Statistically it\u2019s set to be Red Bull Racing\u2019s worst season in a decade and its second worst campaign since it started winning races in 2009.<\/p>\n

But you could argue this result is the most devastating of the lot in context.<\/p>\n

Marquez makes it five wins on the bounce | 00:55<\/p>\n

END OF AN ERA<\/b><\/p>\n

That\u2019s all important to keep in mind when we consider the position in which the team finds itself.<\/p>\n

With Horner\u2019s dismissal, Red Bull has willingly ended one era and launched another.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not simply that Horner is gone.<\/p>\n

Reports suggest one of the many reasons for the Englishman\u2019s sacking was the way he had concentrated control of the brand\u2019s F1 operations in his hands.<\/p>\n

The Austrian business and its executives are tipped to unpick some of that, reabsorbing the Formula 1 team so that it\u2019s treated it as another one of its various worldwide sporting interests rather than a fiefdom of its principal.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a more significant change than a simple swap of team principals; it\u2019s a philosophical departure.<\/p>\n

But sudden significant changes are rarely smooth.<\/p>\n

There are some rumblings that the move has opened new divisions inside Milton Keynes based on loyalty to Horner, the only team principal in Red Bull Racing\u2019s history. Anyone hired by the team in the last 20 years will have answered to the Briton as their ultimate boss. Some senior staff will owe their positions to him directly.<\/p>\n

For example, the Horner news was followed quickly by the dismissal of group chief marketing and commercial officer Oliver Hughes and group director of communications Paul Smith. Both were seen as Horner men in roles that were too broad for the new structure being imposed on the team from Austria.<\/p>\n

Now the UK Sun has claimed others are threatening to quit, dismayed by the team\u2019s new direction.<\/p>\n

The paper anonymously cites staff<\/a> claiming that Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has instructed employees to \u201csmile more\u201d and that Red Bull chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff laughed about some no longer having line managers to report to.<\/p>\n

It further cites an unnamed family friend who claims without evidence Horner was sacked because he was British, though this accusation makes little sense considering Red Bull Racing operates in England and is dominated by British staff.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, there must be uncertainty over the team\u2019s new direction and, if nothing else, its state of competitiveness. To have lost the thread of its 2023 domination so quickly \u2014 really in just months \u2014 raises some significant questions.<\/p>\n

Of course Verstappen seems to think as much as well given his talks with Mercedes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s therefore a limited time to get the wheels turning on this new era.<\/p>\n

Feeney storms to tenth win of the season | 01:30<\/p>\n

PROGRESS IS PARAMOUNT<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s much still at stake in 2025, even if Horner\u2019s sudden sacking reads like a tacit writing off of the year.<\/p>\n

Horner himself represents a potential ticking time bomb.<\/p>\n

If loyalty to him is as strong as some claim \u2014 an undoubtedly it is among some members of staff \u2014 his next move, if it\u2019s to head up another team, could trigger another Milton Keynes brain drain, with staff following him to his next destination.<\/p>\n

Some will be considering their future with the team owing to the instability regardless of whether they had any affection for Horner\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

It will be important to steady the ship quickly enough to head off this threat.<\/p>\n

The most influential way the team can project stability and optimism is through Verstappen.<\/p>\n

His threat to quit early last year in defence of Helmut Marko had the effect of the Austrian immediately being guaranteed his job.<\/p>\n

His talks this year with Mercedes about a possible defection \u2014 as revealed by George Russell and confirmed by Toto Wolff \u2014 were one element in the case that ultimately had Horner dismissed.<\/p>\n

If he can be convinced to stay \u2014 if he can be convinced the team\u2019s future is brighter than it seems \u2014 the bleeding might be stemmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to show Max that there is light at the end of the tunnel,\u201d motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said, per Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?<\/b><\/p>\n

Light at the end of the tunnel doesn\u2019t mean roaring back into championship contention this year \u2014 that boat has long sailed.<\/p>\n

At 69 points adrift, Verstappen would need one of the biggest comebacks of all time to beat title leader Oscar Piastri, and he\u2019d need to do so in a car that\u2019s clearly inferior to the McLaren. The fact Lando Norris is also in the mix only eight points behind Piastri makes the task only more improbable.<\/p>\n

Red Bull Racing is also way out of constructors championship contention, trailing McLaren by 288 points.<\/p>\n

Second place might still be on the table, with 50 points separating Ferrari in second from Red Bull Racing in fourth.<\/p>\n

However, that would require Yuki Tsunoda scoring regularly, something that has proved beyond driver and team.<\/p>\n

Unlike in some other sports, there\u2019s not really such a thing as a new-manager bounce in motorsport. Formula 1 is too complex a sport for a single person to make a significant difference from one weekend to the next.<\/p>\n

However, Mekies unlocking more pace from Tsunoda this year would be an important win for the new boss and his new approach.<\/p>\n

And given a new approach is what the team needs, it could be crucial to holding onto Verstappen and keeping the team together.<\/p>\n

Lando hurt while trying to celebrate | 00:30<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been suggested that Mekies\u2019s arrival has increased the likelihood that Verstappen will stick with the team next season.<\/p>\n

That was always the more likely outcome anyway. With so much change to next year\u2019s regulations, betting on a team swap was always fraught; a driver of Verstappen\u2019s cache can afford to wait a season, assess the competitive situation and then take his pick among the title-contending constructors.<\/p>\n

Much, therefore, likely rides on the team\u2019s performance next season. It\u2019s assumed that if Red Bull Racing slips down the order in 2026, Verstappen will leave.<\/p>\n

Ironically that means Verstappen\u2019s fate is still largely tied to Horner \u2014 tied to the success of the structures and programs the Englishman put in place for the new rules.<\/p>\n

Arriving barely six months before the first pre-season test, Mekies has little scope to influence next year\u2019s early form.<\/p>\n

But even if the team were to underperform in 2026, there might be scope to retain the Dutchman.<\/p>\n

Verstappen has talked often about wanting nothing more than a peaceful, harmonious and focused workplace. Red Bull Racing has been anything but this since the beginning of last year.<\/p>\n

If Mekies can harmonise the team in the second half of the year \u2014 if he can prove Red Bull Racing can be made efficient and nimble again \u2014 it might appeal to Verstappen\u2019s sense of loyalty.<\/p>\n

The Dutchman has intimated that he would like to be a Red Bull Racing driver for life. If the team isn\u2019t far off the pace but can demonstrate that it\u2019s moving in the right direction, he might be convinced to stay and contribute to the rebuild.<\/p>\n

And if he can be convinced of Red Bull Racing\u2019s credentials, so too can the staff who might be thinking of leaving. More of the team can be left intact, and the Mekies era can start from a higher base.<\/p>\n

Things might have to get worse before they get better, but rock bottom can be left undiscovered.<\/p>\n

The shape of Red Bull Racing\u2019s new era will be formed from this weekend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Bull Racing\u2019s new era starts this weekend. For the first time in the team\u2019s history, Christian Horner…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4103],"tags":[23201,521,7907,107024,107002,107009,107013,107025,47240,490,107032,24994,45207,107028,107005,107001,107021,107019,106999,29609,107017,393,299,4199,707,4200,9824,22626,227,2122,1711,107020,27219,1073,45191,107022,107031,107007,17670,107011,107006,1712,99104,25010,107034,107036,107014,107018,107030,107012,106998,25008,107033,79,107029,107000,107003,107023,107027,107026,24989,107010,107035,107004,22614,16,15,107008,17669,107016,107015],"class_list":{"0":"post-286467","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-f1","8":"tag-alex","9":"tag-asia","10":"tag-austria","11":"tag-austrian-business","12":"tag-auto-motor","13":"tag-belgian-grand","14":"tag-bleak-prospects","15":"tag-british-staff","16":"tag-championship-contention","17":"tag-chief-executive","18":"tag-chief-marketing","19":"tag-christian-horner","20":"tag-clive-rose","21":"tag-collision-damage","22":"tag-commercial-officer","23":"tag-constructors-championship-contention","24":"tag-constructors-crowns","25":"tag-dire-engine-unreliability","26":"tag-drivers-championships","27":"tag-eastern-asia","28":"tag-engine-reliability","29":"tag-england","30":"tag-europe","31":"tag-f1","32":"tag-formula-1","33":"tag-formula1","34":"tag-george-russell","35":"tag-getty-images-inc","36":"tag-helmut-marko","37":"tag-japan","38":"tag-lando-norris","39":"tag-line-managers","40":"tag-marc-marquez","41":"tag-max-verstappen","42":"tag-motorsport-adviser","43":"tag-nears-crunch-point","44":"tag-new-manager-bounce","45":"tag-nightmare-season","46":"tag-northern-europe","47":"tag-oliver-hughes","48":"tag-oliver-mintzlaff","49":"tag-oscar-piastri","50":"tag-paul-j-smith","51":"tag-pit-talk","52":"tag-pit-wall","53":"tag-points-schedule","54":"tag-pole-position-qualifier","55":"tag-renault-s-a","56":"tag-revolutions-neat","57":"tag-season-nears-crunch","58":"tag-senior-staff","59":"tag-silly-season","60":"tag-silly-season-nears","61":"tag-sports","62":"tag-sudden-downturn","63":"tag-sudden-sacking","64":"tag-supply-agreement","65":"tag-team-finds","66":"tag-team-needs","67":"tag-team-pricipalformula","68":"tag-team-principal","69":"tag-team-principals","70":"tag-team-swap","71":"tag-ticking-time-bomb","72":"tag-title-leader","73":"tag-uk","74":"tag-united-kingdom","75":"tag-unnamed-family-friend","76":"tag-western-europe","77":"tag-worst-championship-position","78":"tag-worst-season"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}